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The Times view on Moscow’s version of Balkans history: Russia is seeking to turn states of the former Yugoslav federation against the West

An inflammatory film recounting recent Balkan history undermines regional peace

The regime of Vladimir Putin has altered the boundaries of Europe by force, deployed a nerve agent in an assassination attempt in a British city, and entrenched the despotism of Bashar al-Assad in Syria. In pursuit of its brutal foreign policy, it deploys what is euphemistically termed soft power but more accurately described as fraudulent propaganda. That method is now extended to a region of Europe that has known appalling suffering within the past generation. It is vital that western democracies fight back against fakery.

A film titled The Balkan Line is playing to packed cinemas in Russia and Serbia. It is an action blockbuster purporting to recount events in Nato’s bombing campaign against the regime of Slobodan Milosevic in Belgrade 20 years ago. Its…

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